Ballet AU
by AutumnsWitch
Summary: Anything to do with the TAG ballet!au that's happening in my head.
1. Injury

It had been a bad day. Morning, considering the clock had just ticked to 11:25. But Kayo had got in at 8:30 so that pretty much made it a day. It had been her fault, she'd felt the unnatural pull all through yesterday and she'd still decided to put in maximum effort and keep the pain to herself.

Today had started way too early, she'd left the flat in such a rush she'd forgotten her purse and her smoothie. At the moment the loss of the smoothie was the one she was regretting most. The journey had been cold, and delayed (twice) and when she finally got to the studios she was 15 minutes late and Penelope was not happy. The pain in her calf started in their warm up and, like any dancer with no respect for her body's limits, she'd done her best to ignore it. Penelope had noticed her sudden shift to keep weight off her right leg and insisted she didn't push herself.

She only pushed a little.

Which was why she was sat at the edge of the studio massaging her leg and occasionally jotting something down in her notebook.  
Even the caution of an ankle support and Penelope's bright pink sports tape had done nothing. She hated injuries. Especially ones like this that came out of nowhere to hit you over the head with a bit of lead piping. She couldn't even stand on one leg. Injuries made her feel useless and helpless, made her question whether this was the right career choice or maybe she should have been a secretary.

_Urgh. This is what you love, Kayo. You'll be dancing again soon._

Dancing seemed a long way away right now though. She was having to physically stop herself from joining in, jumps were her favourite. A profound sadness had lodged deep in her heart and had spread until it hurt to watch. And now they were on an epic grand allegro. She scribbled the sequence down to try as soon as she was better.

The pianist started to play and she looked up. Scott was in the first group (he was always in the first group), and Virgil was too. They were so in-sync you could simply forget that anyone else was dancing. Scott was jumping quite a bit higher but Virgil had a certain artistry and musicality to die for. Scott threw a wink her way, she stuck her tongue out and pointedly turned away.

Penelope's pale pink skirt floated around her as she moved, making her look like some sort of air spirit. All her movements were light and easy, she was so beautiful to watch. Gordon was dancing beside her (Could those shorts get much shorter? Knowing Gordon they probably could.) He was grinning, he was like Kayo, he lived for allegros. He also lived for dancing with/showing off for Penelope in class. Which was probably why he did a triple tour en l'air rather than a double. _Show off._

Alan was next and maybe she was biased but she loved watching him dance. He was so watchable, even if he didn't quite have the same mastery of technique that his brothers did yet. He fudged a couple of transitions but she wouldn't have noticed if she hadn't have been watching for it. He was flushed and grinning, she had been too when she joined the company.  
He paused on his way back. "How're you holding up?"  
"It hurts but y'know. You killed that tour by the way."  
"Gordon killed it more."  
"Gordon's showing off for Penny he doesn't count."

John was in the last group and god, he was beautiful to watch. His technique was flawless, every movement so perfect, so effortless. She was envious of that. Everyone in the company was. He made it look easy, and it really wasn't. Another pang of sadness hit, it wasn't easy but it was fun and that was what she loved about it. This injury would ban her from fun for the next few weeks. But then she'd be back to competing with Gordon and anyway, Christmas was approaching and she couldn't be injured for that.

* * *

Grand allegro: exercise with big jumps.

Allegro: basically any sort of jump exercise/sequence.

Tour en l'air: where you jump and turn in the air.

Check out youtube if you want to see what any of these look like.


	2. After Sleeping Beauty

Penelope could not stand still. The cast was lined up and speaking in whispers that rose and fell like the sighing of the wind.  
"You're nervous."  
"I'm fine."  
"You've just completed your first performance as Aurora to a standing ovation and at least half a tonne of roses. Everyone's proud of you, even Parker."  
"Yes but Dame Lady Queen-of-all-she-sureys Sylvia Creighton-Ward is slowly making her way towards us."  
John caught her hand. "You'll tear the lace off your tutu then costume will mount your head on a pike."  
She exhaled slowly. Her feet were killing her, her head was starting to hurt and her hands were sweaty.  
"Can you blame me? She was the greatest Aurora of her age; 'never before has such perfection been seen'."  
"She's your great aunt."  
"And that means she can critique me more than anyone else."  
John squeezed her hand. "Worry about how you're going to get all these flowers home."  
She hadn't even considered that. "They won't even fit in my flat-" she broke off as Dame Lady Queen-of-all-she-sureys Sylvia Creighton-Ward appeared in front of them.  
"Penelope, dear."  
Sylvia kissed her cheeks.  
"Aunt Sylvia." John tried to extract his hand but Penelope held on tight.  
"You were wonderful darling. Reminded me of Fumi Kaneko."  
"Really?"  
"Of course dear, don't doubt youself, you were stunning." she turned to John. "Your dancing was sublime John Tracy, that was one of the best Florimund variations I've ever seen."  
"Thank you, my lady."  
"Sylvia, please. Those fish dives were excellent, have you partnered each other before?"  
"We've done several galas together."  
"And we danced together in a couple of Balanchine's last year."  
"Penelope, I'd like to take you and your young man to dinner."  
"He's not-" John squeezed her hand. "We'd love to."  
"I'll meet you at the stage door in 45 minutes?"  
"Okay."  
Sylvia swanned off to talk to someone else. Penelope let out the breath she'd been holding.  
"So that just happened."  
"Did she just offer to buy us dinner?"  
"Yep. You can't be more casual than clean jeans and a polo shirt."  
"I have clothes Penny."  
"We need to run, I have to get the hairspray out."

* * *

They met up at the stage door, hair still damp from rushed showers. Gordon was leaning against the wall chatting to the security guard. His usual school trackies replaced by a Hawaiian shirt and jeans.  
"Ey! You two coming or what? "  
"What?"  
"Uh, maybe post-show drinks with your friends cos you just smashed an epically difficult ballet."  
Penelope felt her heart drop. "Oh, god sorry Gordon, I completely forgot. My great aunt Sylvia is taking us for dinner."  
Gordon's jaw dropped. "Noo way. She's a literal legend, as well as being your relative which should make this less amazing, but wow. John, bring me back some fancy food."  
"No."  
"Wine."  
"Haven't you got class tomorrow?"  
"Fine. I'll tell Scott you found better company. And I'll drink normal boring wine instead." She knew him well enough to know that he wasn't really upset, and that he probably wouldn't go to class hungover. Not after last time anyway.

* * *

"So the artistic director's standing there, surrounded by confettii, and flip flops, and we're making off with four bottles of champange, all the free chocolates and all the coat hangers."  
Penelope's laughter bubbled up, high and gleeful, John's a lower echo full of mirth.  
"But what did you do with the coathangers?"  
Sylvia leant forward eyes shining. "We hung them from the ceiling and put a sign next to it, saying it was a pretensious modern art piece."  
"Oh my god." Penelope started giggling again then grabbed John's arm.  
"I think I'm a bit squiffy darling."  
"You are squiffy." John said, a teasing smile breaking through the façade.  
"Time is getting on, and I have to be in Kyoto tomorrow."  
"Oh, we mustn't keep you."  
Sylvia paid, despite their protesting and they stepped out into the warm night air. Penelope linked her arm through his with a sigh.  
"Shall I call a cab?"  
"I can walk her home, it's not far."  
She scrutinised them for a long, uncomfortable moment. "You look after her."  
"Don't worry, John's a total gentleman." John rolled his eyes.  
"Thank you for your wonderful company and your excellent dancing."  
"It's our pleasure Aunt Sylvia."  
She hailed a taxi.  
"Do take care. I'll see you at Christmas Penelope."  
They waved and started off towards Penelope's flat.  
"Are they still partying?"  
"Yeah." John shoved his phone back in his bag. "You sure it's okay for me to stay?"  
"Of course I'm sure. But only if you help me bring all my flowers back tomorrow."

* * *

_This was the first time John and Penelope had performed together officially. John has recently been made a principal and Penelope is a first soloist in her first major classical role. Aurora was always her ultimate goal as a little girl._

Fumi Kaneko rehearsing Sleeping Beauty: /1Argw1SzEFk

Prince Florimund Variation: /38MThq60EYc


End file.
